Future Islands Channel Synth-Pop Greats, William Shatner on 'Singles'

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Release Date: March 25, 2014 Label: 4AD

Polling my music-expert friends (professional and otherwise) to try and help this '90s baby identify the correct analogy for Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herrings expressive, as-yet-un-indie-fied delivery led to YouTube searches for Simple Minds, Klaus Nomi, Phil Collins, Billy McKenzie of the Associates and "Roland Gift doing Neil Diamond karaoke." But 1) all of them lack Herrings growl and 2) I found it distracting. For me, a clearer parallel would be the Hives gearing up to release Tyrannosaurus Hives, their underappreciated sophomore album. Back then, they proudly told the press of their obsession to play the hyperactive music as robotic and machine-like as possible, juxtaposed with Howlin Pelle Almqvist pushing his vocals to truly discomforting territory howls and screeches and barn-owl noises previously unheard on a punk record with melodies. So it goes with Herring, whose outstanding stage abilities careen wildly over his bandmates' mechanical hum.

Herrings an actor whose ability to improvise just watch him freestyle rap allows him to transform his surroundings. We've heard a billion permutations of the tuneful minimalism of Singles'opener "Seasons (Waiting on You)," but it takes a real showman to free such a song from its nostalgic limitations. Get over Herring's Shatner-like earnestness like you did with Destroyer's Kenny G moves on Kaputt and you'll unlock the furrowed brows, baggy eyes and bulging veins beneath the metronomic perfection. Which isn't to say there aren't tracks here whose synthetic infallibility isn't the best part: "Spirit" cycles through the Junior Boys aural playbook in an efficient 4:22, and "Fall From Grace" is a menacing power ballad whose hooks are computerized whistles. Herring even screams on it. As he downpours about how "we slowly fade away," we're reassured that the end is just an on-off power switch away.

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Future Islands Channel Synth-Pop Greats, William Shatner on 'Singles'

Future Islands

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When Future Islands first plugged in at Muddy Waters Caf back in 2010, it took folks a few minutes to adjust. There in the low light, the Baltimore-based trio came out swinging literally. Deep bass grooves butted up against pulsating synths and drum-machine staccato as frontman Sam Herring unleashed his stage persona, a stalking mix of guttural growls, poetic speak-sing, and theatrical posturing. In the four years since, the band has unleashed two phenomenal albums, a handful of EPs, and a few B-sides. But its the newly unveiled Singles (their first for 4AD) thats threatening to break them through to the masses. Future Islands draw has always been a hybridized mix of art-punk bravado and danceable hooks, and Singles boasts both of those elements in multitudes. The whole thing opens with Seasons (Waiting on You), a jam that almost tricks you into thinking its a waltz until the drums kick in, ushering an aerobic-like anthem about how time heals all wounds. Herrings lyrics are famously romantic affairs, even at their most gut-wrenching (see 2012s On the Water), but here they seem to have a hopefully realist drive to them. Take A Dream of You an Me, which finds Herring intoning lines like, I asked myself for peace, and found it at my feet. The fact that Singles 10 tracks each shine on their own speaks as much to the albums title as it does to Future Islands growth as a band. Its a record that reflects the long road traveled, from a group that sounds like theyve finallyarrived.

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Future Islands

Nothing Like Health Care Madness – White House Chef Resigns – Cavuto Common Sense – Video

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Nothing Like Health Care Madness - White House Chef Resigns - Cavuto Common Sense
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Nothing Like Health Care Madness - White House Chef Resigns - Cavuto Common Sense - Video

City looks at health care options for employees, chooses to stay put

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TIFTON The Tifton City Council heard from Skip Hill with Partners Benefit Group at last weeks workshop concerning changes in health care.

City Manager Larry Riner said Hill has been handling their health care benefits for quite some time now. He said he finds the best bang for their buck. Hill discussed changes in health care due to Health Care Reform and the Affordable Care Act.

Based on the recommendation from Partners Benefit Group, it is in the best interest of the city to stay with Cigna insurance company at this time. Due to Health Care Reform and the claims history, staff will incur an increase to be shared between employee and the city. However, exact numbers will not be known until open enrollment is completed due to different plans that employees may choose.

Hill explained the waiting period for an employee to be eligible for benefits is no more than 90 days. The city will now be required to offer insurance to employees once they have completed 60 days of employment on the first of the month following that date.

He said whether covered under the city or another plan, all copays or any out-of-pocket that an employee pays going forward must be included in that out-of-pocket maximum. The only exception in 2014 will be prescription copays, which will count toward that out-of-pocket maximum in 2015.

He said for this past year, the city had a 130 percent loss ratio. Additionally, with that loss ratio, there are some taxes and fees that the insurance carriers are having to pay due to the Affordable Care Act, one which is called a transitional reinsurance fee. This fee is paid to the government and will be dispersed to insurance companies that are covering high risk individuals.

That tax will be $63 per year per covered person on your plan, which means that if Ive got a family of four, then the city of Tifton through premiums will pay a tax of $63 for each person in my family for that 12-month period, Hill told the council.

He said the increase that was handed down from Cigna, which includes these additional taxes, equates to a 20.79 percent increase for this coming year.

A mandate is coming in 2015 that if you employ more than 100 employees, you must offer health insurance to anyone who works 30 plus hours a week. Thats considered full time and youre not going to be allowed to charge them more than 9.5 percent of their W-2 income, whatever on a per pay period basis that theyre paying, Hill said.

He added, We made a recommendation to Mr. Riner and Ms. (Carla) Cooper (human resources director) that we go ahead and offer a plan, a third option. He said currently, employees have two options as far as health insurance one is a copay plan and the other is a higher deductible plan.

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City looks at health care options for employees, chooses to stay put

Oakwood Healthcare, Beaumont Health System and Botsford Health Care begin $2.8 billion alliance

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By Erica McClain The News-Herald

Oakwood Healthcare, Beamount Health System and Botsford Health Care have agreed to form a new $3.8 billion heath system spanning Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties.

The three health care systems CEOs began discussions about a merger in late 2013 and yesterday signed a letter of intent to begin the due diligence process, which is projected to take 90 days.

Botsford CEO Paul LaCasse said that while the Affordable Care Act that compels health care systems to reduce costs and inefficiencies through mergers and alliances, it was not the driving factor for the three organizations.

We saw the cultural fit and recognized that we could improve safety and reduce cost structure those were the driving factors, LaCasse said.

The three health care systems span Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties with Oakwood headquartered in Dearborn, Botsford in Farmington Hills and Beaumont in Royal Oak.

The geography we have is not overlapping, its complementary, LaCasse said. Our physician practice models are very similar, and we have a very strong commitment to private practice we want to perpetuate.

The cultural fit is fabulous. We know each other weve known (each other) for a long time and have a mutual respect for one another.

There are no plans to close any hospitals, according to Oakwood CEO Brian Connolly.

However, an inventory will be taken on each facilitys age and locations to review facilities and maintenance costs, Beaumont CEO Gene Michalski said.

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Oakwood Healthcare, Beaumont Health System and Botsford Health Care begin $2.8 billion alliance

The Times & Technology, They are a-Changing: Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote American Technical Education …

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Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) March 25, 2014

Following numerous keynote speeches around the world, including the Ohio Educational Technology Conference in February, Jack Uldrich, global futurist, and best-selling author, will kick off the ATEA conference on March 26th with his keynote "Why Future Trends in Technical Education Demand Unlearning."

Hosted by Dunwoody College of Technology, postsecondary technical educators will convene in St. Paul from March 26-28, for the 51st American Technical Education Association (ATEA) Conference. The conference aims to provide various opportunities for technical educators, administrators and business partners to tackle the ever-changing opportunities and challenges to meet workforce needs.

Uldrichs keynote presentation will address many of the challenges ATEA members face through the concept of unlearning. As well as highlight how they can, and should, begin embracing the coming technological trends.

"Every year, the higher education landscape becomes more complex to navigate, both for students and providers," said Sandra Krebsbach, ATEA executive director. "The conference is one of the best opportunities in the country for educators and employers to meet and discuss these challenges and share best practices."

Uldrich will discuss best practices for adopting the coming technological changes and share insights from his best-selling book, "Higher Unlearning: 39 Post Requisite Lessons for Achieving a Successful Future," and his latest book, "Foresight 2020: A Futurist Explores the Trends Transforming Tomorrow." Uldrich will also touch on why these future trends will require unlearning, and address how these technological changes are upending long-standing educational and funding mechanisms.

The keynote is designed to provide ATEA education innovators a solid and thought-provoking foundation upon which to conduct future strategic planning. An overview of many of the coming changes can be found in this article: 10 Quotations on the Future of Higher Education.

Uldrich's addresses have been said to be, "inspiring, thought provoking, motivational, and practical all at once." By infusing a "huge dose of practicality," drawn from a wide spectrum of industries outside the educational establishment, Uldrich will ensure his message of unlearning "sticks" with his ATEA audience. A sample of some his ideas on the future of education can be found in this article, The Future of Higher Education: A Cloudy Forecast.

Celebrated as a national and international speaker and scholar, Uldrichs most recent keynotes have been delivered to the American Medical Association, TEXPERS, the Idaho Technology Council, Wells Fargo, the Allan P. Kirby Lecture Series at Wilkes University and The Million Dollar Round Table in Kuala Lumpur.

Some of Uldrichs other clients include General Electric, IBM, Cisco, United Healthcare, PepsiCo, Verizon Wireless, General Mills, the Young Presidents Organization (YPO), Pfizer, Healthcare Association of New York, Southern Company, St. Jude Medical, Dressbarn, AG Schering, Imation, Lockheed Martin, Fairview Hospitals, Touchstone Energy, The Insurance Service Organization, and hundreds more.

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The Times & Technology, They are a-Changing: Global Futurist Jack Uldrich to Keynote American Technical Education ...